Gardaí are beginning a country-wide crackdown on dangerous driving today ahead of the June bank holiday weekend.
The campaign will focus on speed, drink-driving and the wearing of seat belts and is aimed at preventing the usual surge in deaths during public holidays.
Last month's bank holiday weekend saw 17 deaths on the roads. The crackdown coincides with the extension of the penalty points scheme to cover uninsured drivers.
From Sunday, motorists who are caught without insurance will incur five penalty points on their licence.
Announcing the move, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said about 80,000 Irish motorists are believed to be driving without insurance.
He said this was costing the industry an estimated €50 million a year and that this was being passed on to drivers via high premiums.
Mr Brennan also revealed that some 23,000 drivers had received penalty points since the system was introduced last November.
This weekend's road safety campaign was due to run until midnight on Monday.